Man gets life for plotting 9/11-style attack on Atlanta’s Bank of America Plaza

Kenyan man gets life for al-Shabaab plot to crash hijacked airliner into Atlanta’s tallest building A federal judge on Monday sentenced Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, to two consecutive life terms plus a lifetime of supervised release for plotting a 9/11-style attack on Atlanta’s 55-story Bank of America Plaza on behalf of the Somalia-based terrorist group al-Shabaab. A Manhattan jury found Abdullah guilty in 2024 on six counts tied to the thwarted plot, which prosecutors said was designed to mirror the tactics of the Sept. 11,…

7 Indicators Your Burger Lacks Genuine Beef Content

The source text is best suited for the Healthy Eating format. The content focuses on identifying the quality of burgers in terms of real beef versus additives, which aligns with nutrition and wellness trends. The tips provided are evidence-based and practical for consumers looking to make informed dietary choices. Here’s how the article could be structured in the Healthy Eating format: Identifying Real Beef: 7 Signs Your Burger Isn't 100% Beef As consumers become more conscious of food quality, recognizing whether a burger…

UN Security Council renews Somalia peacekeeping mission for another year

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) for another year, extending operations through December 31, 2026, in a vote on Tuesday that underscored broad international backing for Somalia’s security transition. The UK-drafted resolution passed 15-0 and also set an end date for the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), with all UNTMIS operations to conclude by October 31, 2026.…

UN Security Council Extends Somalia Peacekeeping Mandate for Another Year

New York — The United Nations Security Council unanimously renewed the mandate of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, extending AUSSOM through Dec. 31, 2026, in a resolution adopted Tuesday that also set a timetable to wind down a separate U.N. mission. The resolution, tabled by the United Kingdom, passed 15-0 and keeps in place international backing for Somalia’s security transition amid persistent attacks by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgency. It also decided to terminate the United…

Somali Parliament Approves 2026 National Budget Worth $1.39 Billion

Somalia’s Parliament approves $1.39 billion 2026 national budget in joint session MOGADISHU — Somalia’s bicameral Federal Parliament on Tuesday approved the National Budget for the 2026 fiscal year, endorsing a $1,386,807,242 spending plan during a joint session held in Mogadishu. The budget’s passage, by an overwhelming majority, sets the federal government’s financial framework for the coming year. According to parliamentary results, 174 lawmakers voted in favor, four opposed, and one abstained, signaling broad…

U.S. Ambassador’s Recall From Somalia Must Catalyze Stronger U.S. Political Engagement

Editorial | The recall of the U.S. ambassador to Somalia must trigger tougher, accountable engagement Washington’s recall of its ambassador to Somalia comes at a fraught juncture in Mogadishu—a familiar endgame in which the federal mandate under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud nears expiration while no shared political or electoral framework is in place. That convergence is not coincidence; it is the pattern that has defined Somalia’s transition for years. The moment demands U.S. political leadership that matches the scale…

U.S. Begins Surveillance Flights Over Nigeria After Trump’s Intervention Threat

U.S. surveillance flights over Nigeria have ramped up since late November, signaling a sharp uptick in security cooperation as Washington presses Abuja to curb mounting violence, including attacks on Christian communities. Flight-tracking data and current and former U.S. officials confirm contractor-operated missions flying near daily from Accra, Ghana, across Nigerian airspace and back. It was not immediately clear what specific intelligence the aircraft are collecting. A current U.S. official confirmed the flights but…

Kenya Repatriates 119 Citizens Rescued from Myanmar Job Scam Hubs

Kenya has repatriated 119 citizens who were trapped in online fraud syndicates in Myanmar, with nearly 200 more still awaiting evacuation across Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia, the State Department for Diaspora Affairs said Monday. In a statement, the department said 198 Kenyans remain in the pipeline for repatriation. That group includes 66 in Thailand’s immigration detention center, 129 in shelters in Myanmar, and three in a Caritas Catholic safe house in Cambodia, where Kenya’s Embassy has established contact. The…

From Syria to Somalia, US troops deployed this holiday season on open-ended missions

America’s forever wars didn’t end. They receded from view — and risk roaring back. While Washington fixates on China, Iran and Russia, U.S. troops are still fighting, striking and being targeted from the Middle East to the Horn of Africa and the Caribbean corridor. The missions are smaller and quieter than the wars that defined the post‑9/11 era. They are also open‑ended, conducted under authorizations Congress passed more than two decades ago — long after most Americans stopped paying attention. The footprint shrank, not…

Somalia’s fisheries minister praises strategic cooperation with Türkiye

Somalia, Türkiye sign fisheries pact to curb illegal fishing and spur jobs Somalia has welcomed a new “Strategic Cooperation and Service Agreement” with Türkiye that sets up a joint licensing and enforcement framework for the country’s vast waters, aiming to protect marine resources, expand the blue economy and create jobs. Somali Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy Ahmed Hassan Aden said the agreement, signed Dec. 17 with Türkiye’s OYAK group, will institutionalize economic cooperation and anchor a long-term…